So, I finally have a moment to breathe and I remember I was adding my reviews of favorite books to this blog (on the off-chance Goodreads suddenly decides to follow Amazon’s practice of not allowing authors to review certain books). Please forgive me. I may end up posting more than one review today. I’m not sure if I’ll have the time any other day this week.
Pandora Hearts, #3 by Jun Mochizuki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Good gosh, I love this series.
“Don’t touch me, you vile creature.”
One of the things I like about Pandora Hearts is its focus on the family. Twisted, weird, sick families who, in their own weird way, love each other. Or, at least, I think they do. Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic.
In volume #3, family takes center stage, beginning with Oz trying to help a boy and his father, who has entered into an illegal contract with a chain. In the process, we see just how bad Oz’s relationship with his father actually was. After seeing that, I was dying to know why he didn’t kill him on the spot. It also explains part of why Gil is so protective of Oz.
Speaking of Gil, we get to see his relationship with his brother, Vincent, who is just two cards short of a full deck, possibly more, and with a far darker feel to him than Xerxes. We learn why Gil chose to align himself with his master’s enemies, and Xerxes once again acts as a window into future events with the questions he asks.
In fact, I’m at the point where I feel Xerxes is like a stranger version of Sherlock Holmes. I want so bad to gush about him, but I’m trying to save it for the volume where he really shines.
Most importantly, we come full circle to the point where the past and the present begin to converge.
Favorite parts in this volume include (but are not limited to):
* Gil confronting Oz’s father. Oh. My. Gosh. I want to see his father die a slow, painful death for the way he treated Oz. And yet, for that much contempt, he was surprisingly lenient in his punishment.
* Alice comforting Oz when he felt alone. That was such a sweet little scene, yet so very Alice. I really love watching their relationship deepen.
* Vincent welcoming his big brother back. Note the shredded stuffed animals, heh, heh.
* Xerxes talking to Gil about his obsession with bringing Oz back from the Abyss. “Open both eyes wide. That is, if you…don’t want to end up like me…” Gah! When I read that, I knew I had to find out more about Xerxes’ story. And so, I read on, even though the next volume promised to focus more on Gil, Alice, and Oz.
Next up (when I get a chance), volume 4!
Amy Keeley 